The development of Russian folk costume has a rich and long history; its components were formed in the pre-Christian era, in close connection with the architecture of Rus' and pagan beliefs.

Description of Russian folk costume

Women's Russian national costume is much more interesting and richer than men's, because a woman's appearance contains people's ideas about femininity, beauty, and family values. In ancient times in Rus', costume was one of the manifestations of folk applied arts and crafts.

The main elements of Russian folk costume developed back in Ancient Rus'. The main costume was a long, straight-cut “shirt,” which was made from homespun fabric, with wide sleeves. Usually, a woman wore more than one such shirt (at least one more acted as underwear).

The clothing of a Russian peasant woman consisted of a shirt like this, decorated with embroidery, which in Russian folk costume was usually placed on the sleeves, hem and shoulders. A plain sundress and an apron were worn on top. The peasant costume was prepared with great diligence, usually in connection with labor holidays - harvesting, haymaking, and pasturing cattle.

Details of Russian folk costume

The sundress is one of the main details of the Russian folk costume for women. The elegant version was worn complete with a shirt, an apron, and a belt. Each locality had its own style of sundress, and the patterns on it, like on other versions of Russian folk costumes, have their own characteristics. In the southern part of Russia, preference was given to red, which had many different shades. Embroidery on sundresses was done with gold threads and pearls.

The most common headdress of women's Russian folk costume was a thick cap of various shapes, usually lavishly decorated with embroidery and stones.

The girls wore hoops (soft or hard) made of multi-colored ribbons. If unmarried girls could wear one braid or braided hair, then married ladies had to braid 2 braids and always wore a headdress.

The beauty and pristineness, originality and chastity of Russian folk costume is reflected in modern world, so elements of costumes in Russian folk style in Lately are very relevant in the global fashion industry and are increasingly appearing on fashion catwalks.

Women's urban costume in folk style: jacket, apron
Russia. Late 19th century
Cotton, linen threads; weaving, cross stitch, multi-pair weaving.

Peasant woman's outerwear
Tula province. Early 20th century
Wool fabric; dl. 90 cm

Peasant woman's outerwear: "fur coat"

Cloth, chintz; machine stitching. Dl. 115 cm

Women's outerwear "Odezhina"
Nizhny Novgorod province. 19th century

Women's folk costume. Sundress, shirt, apron
Nizhny Novgorod province. 19th century
Burgundy satin, red silk and striped satin;

Women's costume: paneva, shirt, apron, "magpie" headdress, necklace, belt

Woolen fabric, linen, chintz, braid, wool, silk and metal threads, beads; weaving, embroidery, weaving.

Women's costume: paneva, shirt, apron, scarf
Oryol province. Second half of the 19th century.
Woolen fabric and thread, braid, linen, cotton thread, satin, silk; woven weaving, embroidery, patterned weaving.

Women's costume: paneva, shirt, shushpan, chain, apron, "magpie" headdress
Ryazan province. Second half of the 19th century.
Woolen fabric, linen, cotton fabric, metal, cotton threads, beads; weaving, embroidery, weaving.

Women's costume: sundress, belt, shirt, headband, necklace

Printed canvas, calico, linen, silk ribbon, colored thread, galloon, amber; sewing, printing, cutting.

Festive Cossack costume: sundress, sleeves, belt, headscarf
Ural, Uralsk. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Satin, silk, calico, galloon, gilded thread, beat, crystal, silver, silver thread; embroidery.

Peasant woman's costume, urban type: sundress, jacket, kokoshnik, scarf
Arkhangelsk province. Early 20th century
Silk, satin, calico, galloon, fringe, braid, artificial pearls, metal thread; embroidery

Peasant woman costume: sundress, apron, belt, shirt, scarf
Kursk province. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Woolen, linen, silk fabric, galloon, velvet, brocade, calico, braid; weaving

Peasant woman costume: sundress, shirt, apron, headdress “collection”
Vologda province. Late 19th century
Cotton fabric, canvas, silk ribbons, lace; weaving, embroidery, weaving

Peasant woman costume: sundress, shirt, belt
Smolensk province. Late 19th century
Broadcloth, chintz, cotton fabric, wool, cotton threads; embroidery, weaving.

Belts for folk costume
Russia. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Woolen, linen, silk threads; weaving, knitting, weaving. 272x3.2 cm, 200x3.6 cm

Girl's costume: paneva, shirt, "top", belt, gaitan, "bundle"
Tula province. Late 19th - early 20th century.
Woolen, linen fabric, linen, calico, chintz, galloon, fringe, woolen thread; weaving, embroidery, weaving.

Chest decoration: chain
Southern provinces. Second half of the 19th century. Beads, linen thread; weaving.

Girls' festive costume: sundress, shirt
Northern provinces. Early 19th century
Taffeta, muslin, silver, metal thread; embroidery.

"Mother" costume: sundress, warmer, beads
Saint Petersburg. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Silk, metal thread, fringe, agramant, artificial pearls;

Girls' festive costume: sundress, sleeves, headband, necklace
Upper Volga region. Second half of the 18th century.
Damask, chintz, brocade, mother of pearl, pearls, braid, woven lace; embroidery, threading.

Women's festive costume: sundress, shirt, kokoshnik, scarf
Upper Volga region. 19th century
Silk, brocade, muslin, metal and cotton threads, galloon, beads; weaving, embroidery.

Women's festive costume: sundress, padded warmer, kokoshnik "head", scarf
Tver province Second half of the 19th century.
Damask, silk, brocade, velvet, fringe, metal thread, mother-of-pearl, beads; weaving, embroidery

Girl's headdress: crown
Arkhangelsk province. Second half of the 19th century.
Canvas, glass beads, beads, braid, cord, metal; embroidery. 35x24 cm

Girl's headdress "Lenka"
Russia. 19th century Fabric, gold thread;; embroidery.

Girl's headdress: crown
Kostroma province Beginning of the 19th century.
Canvas, cord, copper, foil, mother-of-pearl, glass, sparkles, linen thread; weaving, embroidery. 28x33 cm

Girl's headdress: crown
Northwestern region. First half of the 19th century
Canvas, cord, rhinestones, freshwater pearls; embroidery. 13x52 cm

Girl's headdress: koruna
Vologda province. Second half of the 19th century.
Canvas, braid, cord, foil, beads, gimp, satin, calico, heel; embroidery. 36x15 cm

Arkhangelsk province. Second half of the 19th century.
Galun, calico, silver thread, fringe, artificial pearls; embroidery. 92x21.5 cm

Girl's headdress: headband
Upper Volga region. First half of the 19th century
Brocade, foil, pearls, turquoise, glass; embroidery, threading. 28x97.5 cm

Upper Volga region. 19th century.
Velvet, chintz, braid, metal thread; embroidery. 14x24 cm

Women's headdress: kokoshnik
Central provinces. 19th century
Brocade, galloon, mother-of-pearl, artificial pearls, glass; embroidery. 40x40 cm

Women's headdress: kokoshnik
Kostroma province. Late 18th - early 19th century.
Velvet, canvas, cotton fabric, braid, pearls, glass, metal thread; embroidery. 32x17x12 cm

Women's headdress: kokoshnik
Pskov province. Second half of the 19th century.
Brocade, white beads, canvas; embroidery. 27x26 cm

Women's headdress: kokoshnik "head"
Tver province. 19th century
Velvet, mother of pearl, beads, metal thread; weaving, embroidery. 15x20 cm

Women's headdress: warrior
Ryazan province. Early 20th century
Chintz, canvas, metallic sequins, beads; embroidery. 20x22 cm

Women's headdress: back of the head
Southern provinces. 19th century
Kumach, canvas, cotton fabric, metal thread, beads, threads; embroidery, threading. 31.5x52 cm

Women's headdress: collection
Northern provinces. Second half of the 19th century.
Canvas, calico, chintz, gilded metal thread, glass, beads; embroidery. 23x17.7 cm

Women's headdress: magpie
Voronezh province. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Canvas, velvet, satin, chintz, wool, metallic threads, sequins, galloon; embroidery.

Silk, metal thread, beat; embroidery. 160x77 cm

Head scarf
Nizhny Novgorod province. Second half of the 19th century.
Taffeta, metallic thread, cotton fabric; embroidery. 133x66 cm

Wallet. Late 18th century
Silk, metal thread, printed material; embroidery. 11x8 cm

Wallet in the shape of a jug
Russia. Second third of the 19th century.
Silk, cotton thread, beads, copper; Crochet. 12x6.7 cm

Necklace
Russia. Second half of the 19th century.
Beads, glass beads, linen thread, silk braid; weaving. 52x2 cm

Earrings. Russia. Second half of the 19th century.
Pearls, glass, copper, horsehair; weaving, cutting, stamping. 7.8x4.1 cm

Earrings and necklace. Russia. Late 18th - early 19th centuries.
Linen thread, mother of pearl, glass beads, pearls, copper; weaving

Chest decoration: "mushroom"
Voronezh province. Late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Woolen, metallic threads, sequins, glass beads; lowering Dl. 130 cm

Apron for women's holiday costume
Tula province. Second half of the 19th century.
Linen, lace, linen and cotton threads; embroidery, weaving. 121x105 cm

Head scarf
Russia. Second half of the 19th century. Silk thread; weaving. 100x100 cm

Head scarf Russia. 19th century Chintz; seal. 131x123 cm

Shawl Moscow province Russia. 1860 -1880s
Silk; weaving. 170x170 cm

For many centuries, Russian national clothing has preserved the cultural values ​​of our people. The costume conveys the traditions and customs of the ancestors. Spacious cut, simple style, but beautifully and lovingly decorated details of the clothing convey the breadth of soul and flavor of the Russian land. It is not for nothing that the revival of Russian origins can now be seen in modern fashion collections.

The clothing of the ancient Slavs is the national dress of the population of Rus' until the reign of Peter I. The style, decoration, and image of the costume were formed under the influence of:

• The main activity of the population (farming, cattle breeding);
• Natural conditions;
• Geographical location;
• Relations with Byzantium and Western Europe.

Slavic clothing was made from natural fibers(cotton, wool, linen), had a simple cut and length to the toes. The nobles wore bright colors (green, crimson, scarlet, azure), and the decorations were the most luxurious:

• Silk embroidery;
• Russian embroidery with gold and silver thread;
• Decoration with stones, beads, pearls;
• Fur decoration.

The image of clothing of Ancient Rus' began to emerge in ancient times, in the 14th century. It was worn by the tsar, boyars, and peasants until the 17th century.

Period 15-17 centuries. The Russian national costume retains its originality and acquires a more intricate cut. Under the influence of Polish culture, swinging and fitted clothing appeared among the Eastern Slavs. Velvet and silk fabrics are used. The noble princely and boyar classes had more expensive and multi-layered outfits.

Late 17th century. Peter I issues decrees prohibiting the wearing of national costumes by the nobility. These decrees did not apply only to priests and peasants. The decree prohibited sewing and selling Russian costumes, for which fines and even confiscation of property were provided. They were published by the Russian monarch in order to adopt European culture and strengthen relations with Europe. This measure of instilling someone else's taste had a negative impact on national development.

Second half of the 18th century. Catherine II tried to return Russian originality to the costumes of the European-style nobility. This was manifested in the fabrics and splendor of the outfits.

Patriotic War of the 19th century. The patriotic spirit of the population is rising, which has returned interest in the national clothing of the Russian people. Noble young ladies began to wear sundresses and kokoshniks. The outfits were made from brocade and muslin.

20th century. Due to strained relations with suppliers from Europe, there was a return to the clothing style of Ancient Rus'. This appeared in fashion trends with elements of Russian style.

Kinds

Ancient Russian national clothing was very diverse and was divided into festive and everyday attire. It also varied depending on the region, social class of the owner, age, marital status and type of activity. But some features of the costume distinguished it from the clothing of other nationalities.

Features of Russian national clothing:

1. Multi-layered, especially among the nobility and women;
2. Loose fit. For convenience, they were supplemented with fabric inserts;
3. A belt was tied to decorate and hold clothing. The ornament embroidered on it was a talisman;
4. Clothes made in Rus' were all decorated with embroidery and carried a sacred meaning, protecting them from the evil eye;
5. By the pattern one could find out about the owner's age, gender, nobility;
6. Festive outfits were made from bright fabrics and richly decorated with trim;
7. There was always a headdress on the head, sometimes in several layers (for married women);
8. Each Slav had a set of ritual clothing, which was richer and more colorfully decorated. They wore it several times a year and tried not to wash it.

The decoration of Russian clothing contains information about the clan, family, customs, and occupations. The more expensive the fabrics and decoration of the suit, the more noble and rich the owner was considered.

Noble

The outfits of the princely and boyar classes maintained the Russian style in clothing until the end of the 17th century. Traditionally, it was distinguished by luxury and layering. Even the growth of territories and turbulent international relations did not change the national identity of ancient Russian clothing. And the boyars and nobles themselves stubbornly did not accept European fashion trends.

During the period of the 16th and early 17th centuries, the costume of the nobility became more diverse, which cannot be said about peasant clothing, which did not change for many centuries. The more layers there were in the outfit, the richer and more noble the owner was considered. The weight of the dress sometimes reached 15 kg or more. Even the heat did not cancel this rule. They wore long, wide clothes, sometimes open with a slit in the front. The outfits that emphasized the waist were beautiful. Ancient Russian women's clothing reached a mass of 15-20 kg, which made women move smoothly and majestically. This kind of gait was the female ideal.

Old Russian clothing of princes and boyars was made from expensive fabrics imported from Italy, England, Holland, Turkey, Iran, and Byzantium. Rich materials - velvet, satin, taffeta, brocade, calico, satin - were in bright colors. They were decorated with sewing, embroidery, precious stones, and pearls.

Peasant

Clothing of ancient Rus' is one of the ancient types of folk art. Through decorative and applied arts, craftswomen passed on the traditions and origins of Russian culture. The clothing of Russian peasants, although simple, created a harmonious image, complemented by jewelry, shoes, and headdress.

The main materials for sewing were homespun canvas or woolen fabrics of simple weaving. Since the mid-19th century, factory-made fabrics with bright colored patterns (silk, satin, calico, satin, chintz) have appeared.

Peasant clothing was highly valued; it was taken care of, altered and worn almost to the point of disrepair. Festive clothes were kept in chests and passed from parents to children. She wore it rarely, 3-4 times a year, and they tried not to wash it.

After long days of work in the field or with livestock, the long-awaited holiday came. On this day, the peasants put on their best clothes. Beautifully decorated, it could tell about the owner, his marital status, the area where he came from. The embroidery depicted the sun, stars, birds, animals, and people. The ornament not only decorated, but also protected from evil spirits. Russian patterns on clothes were embroidered on the edges of the product: neck or collar, cuffs, hem.

All costumes differed from each other in color, style and decoration. And they conveyed the natural features of their native land.

Military

The Russian professional army did not always have uniform uniforms. In ancient Rus', warriors did not have a single uniform. Protective equipment was selected depending on financial capabilities and methods of combat. Therefore, even in small squads, the clothes and armor of Russian heroes were different.

In ancient times, under protective gear, men wore a cotton or linen shirt, belted at the waist. On the legs were canvas harem pants (ports), which were gathered not only at the waist, but also at the ankles and under the knees. They wore boots made from a single piece of leather. Later, nagovitsa appeared - iron stockings to protect the legs in battle, and for the hands - bracers (metal gloves).

The main armor until the 17th century was chain mail made of metal rings. It resembled a long-skirted shirt with short sleeves. Her weight was 6-12 kg. Afterwards, other types of body protection appeared:

• Baidana (larger, thinner rings) weighing up to 6 kg;
• “Plate armor” - metal plates 3 mm thick were attached to a leather or fabric base;
• “Scaly armor” was also attached to the base, but resembled fish scales.

The armor of the warriors was supplemented on the head with a metal helmet with a spire. It could be supplemented with a half mask and aventail (chain mail mesh that protected the neck and shoulders). In Rus' in the 16th century, tegilai (quilted shell) appeared. This is an elongated quilted caftan with a thick layer of cotton wool or hemp. It had short sleeves, a stand-up collar, and metal plates sewn onto the chest. It was more often worn by poor wars. Such protective armor of Russian warriors existed until the 17th century.

Details and their meaning in clothing

Across the vast Russian territory, national clothing varied, sometimes even significantly. This can be seen in photographs and in museums. The depiction of people in Russian attire in the paintings conveys all the versatility and originality of ancient Rus'. The skillfully made jewelry of the craftswomen amazes with the complexity of the work.

Each region was famous for its decorative arts. If the nobility tried to have rich and original clothes that were not repeated by anyone, then the peasants decorated them with embroidery of natural motifs and invested their love for mother earth.

Male

The basis of ancient Russian men's clothing was a shirt and trousers. All men wore them. The nobility made them from expensive material with rich embroidery. The peasants had them made from homespun material.

Until the 17th century, trousers were wide, but later they became narrower and tied with a cord at the waist and ankles. The pants were tucked into the shoes. The nobility wore 2 pairs of trousers. The upper ones were often made of silk or cloth. In winter they were covered with fur.

Shirt

Another obligatory clothing of ancient Rus' for men was a shirt. For rich people it was an underwear item, and peasants wore it when going out without outer clothing (caftan, zipun). The shirt had a slit at the neck in the front or side, usually on the left (kosovorotka). The trim on the neck and cuffs was usually made of expensive fabric, embroidered or decorated with braid. Bright designs on the braid were in the form of plant patterns. The shirt was tied with silk or woolen cord, sometimes with tassels, and worn for graduation. Young people on the belt, older people - lower, making an overlap above the waist. He played the role of a pocket. Shirts were made from linen, silk, and satin fabric.

Zipun

A zipun was worn over the shirt. It was knee-length, with a belt and buttoned end-to-end. The narrow sleeves were fastened at the cuffs with buttons. A beautifully decorated collar was attached to the neckline. Zipun was most often worn at home, but young people sometimes wore it outside.

Kaftan

The nobles wore a caftan when going out. There were many styles, the common length being below the knees.

• More often the caftan was long, not fitted, with long sleeves. Butt fastened with 6-8 buttons. This ancient Russian clothing was decorated with a standing collar, decorated with embroidery and stones;
• They also wore a homemade wraparound caftan with buttons, metal or wood. In rich houses, gold buttons were used. Long sleeves were rolled up, but elbow-length options were more comfortable;
• Another style of caftan - chucha - was worn for riding. It had side slits and cropped sleeves for comfort;
• Polish culture in the 17th century influenced the appearance of the caftan, which fit tightly to the figure and flared below the waist. The long sleeves were voluminous at the shoulder and tapered greatly below the elbow.

The nobleman also had ceremonial clothing, its names were a cloak or a feryaz, which was worn over a caftan. The length of the outfits reached the calves or the floor; the dress itself was trimmed with fur or decorated with a fur collar. The wide shawl was fastened with one button. To sew the outfit, dark green, dark blue cloth or gold brocade was used.

Fur coat

If the caftan and furyaz were inaccessible to the peasants, then almost all segments of the population had a fur coat. Fur coats were made with the fur inside, expensive and not very expensive. Voluminous ones with large sleeves reached to the ground or were below the knees. Peasants wore hare and sheep fur coats. And rich, noble people sewed them from the skins of sable, marten, fox, and arctic fox.

Headdress

A mandatory attribute of Russian clothing was a fur hat, reminiscent of a high cap. Among the nobility, it was decorated with embroidery with gold thread. At home, boyars and nobles wore tafya, similar to a skullcap. When going outside, they put on a murmolka and a cap made of expensive fabric with a fur trim over the tafya.

Shoes

The most common footwear among peasants is bast shoes. Not everyone had leather boots, so they were very much appreciated. Instead of boots, peasants wrapped their feet tightly in cloth and sewed leather onto their feet. Boyars, princes, and nobles had the most common footwear in ancient Rus' - boots. The toes are usually turned up. Shoes were made from colored brocade, morocco and decorated with multi-colored stones.

Women's clothing

The main women's ancient Russian clothing was a shirt, a sundress, and a poneva. The formation of the folk costume of the southern regions of ancient Rus' was influenced by Ukrainian and Belarusian culture. The women's outfit consisted of a canvas shirt and a poneva (swinging skirt). On top, women put on an apron or cufflink and tied a belt. A high kick or magpie is required on the head. The entire outfit was richly decorated with embroidery.

The Slavic costume of the northern lands had a sundress shirt and an apron. Sundresses were made from a single cloth or from wedges and decorated with braid, lace, and embroidery. The headdress was a scarf or kokoshnik decorated with beads and pearls. In cold weather, they wore long fur coats or short shower jackets.

Shirt

Worn by women of all social classes, they differed in fabric and decoration. It was made from cotton, linen, expensive ones - from silk. The hem, collar and sleeves were decorated with embroidery, braid, appliqué, lace and other patterns. Sometimes dense designs decorated the chest area. Each province had different patterns, patterns, colors and other details.

Features of the shirt:

• Simple cut with straight pieces;
• The sleeves were wide and long, so as not to interfere, they wore bracelets;
• The hem reached to the toes;
• Often a shirt was made from two parts (the upper one was expensive, the lower one was cheaper, as it wore out quickly);
• Richly decorated with embroidery;
• There were several shirts, but smart ones were rarely worn.

Sundress

Ancient Russian women's clothing was worn until the 18th century in all segments of the population. They sewed things from canvas, satin, brocade, and silk. They were trimmed with satin ribbons, braid, and embroidery. At first the sundress looked like a sleeveless dress, then it became more varied:

• Deaf - sewn from one piece of fabric folded in half, a neck was made along the fold, decorated with bright fabric;
• Swing, oblique - appeared later and 3-4 fabrics were used for its sewing. Decorated with ribbons and patterned inserts;
• Straight, swing - sewn from straight fabrics, which were gathered on the chest. It was held on by two narrow straps;
• A type of straight one made of two parts - a skirt and a bodice.

Among rich women, a shushun sundress with flared bottoms was common. Extended sleeves were sewn onto it, but they were not worn. The shushun was fastened with buttons all the way to the bottom.

Poneva

The skirt is made of three layers of woolen fabric. They wove at home, alternating wool and hemp threads. A cellular pattern was created. Decorated with tassels and fringes. Young women decorated more brightly. Only married women wore it, sometimes with a shirt hanging from their belt. An apron or cufflink with a hole for the head was put on top of the skirt.

Outerwear:

• The flyer was sewn from a plain fabric and reached the calves in length. It was decorated with a fur collar;
• A shower warmer is a short garment, just below the waist, quilted with cotton lining. It was trimmed with bright fabrics, brocade, satin and fur. Worn by peasants and nobility;
• A fur coat sewn with fur inside was worn by women of all classes; peasant women had cheaper furs.

Hats

The clothing in the Russian style is completed with a headdress, which was different for unmarried and married women. The girls had part of their hair open; ribbons, hoops, headbands, and openwork crowns were tied to their heads. Married women covered their heads with a headscarf over their kiki. The headdress of the southern regions was in the form of a spatula and horns.

In the northern regions, women wore kokoshniks. The headdress looked like a round shield. Its solid base was decorated with brocade, pearls, beads, beads, and among the nobility - expensive stones.

Children's

There was little children's clothing, it was valued, and in appearance it looked like an adult outfit. The younger children carried the older ones to term. Just for little ones, it could be with short sleeves, for convenience it could even resemble a dress.

The first diaper a boy was born with was his father's shirt, and a girl's was her mother's. In ancient Rus', clothes for children were altered from parents' outfits. It was believed that the energy and strength of the parents would protect the baby from any diseases or the evil eye of others. Shirts for boys and girls were no different; they were thick and long to the toes. The clothes were lovingly decorated with maternal embroidery, which was a talisman for the child.

At about 3 years old, children were sewn their first shirt from a new linen. And 12-year-old girls were entitled to a new poneva or sundress, boys - harpoon pants. For teenage children, the outfits were more varied; adult models were repeated: blouses, trousers, fur coats, hats.

Traditional clothing of Ancient Rus' has long gone into history. But the fashionable ideas of designers look impressive in a modern outfit with elements of Russian style. Ethnic looks are in fashion now.

Dresses in Russian design attract with their modesty, restraint with a shallow neckline, medium length or almost to the floor. Russian patterns on clothes add sophistication and originality:

• Floral motifs on fabric;
• Hand embroidery of plant patterns;
• Sewing, appliqués;
• Decoration with beads, ribbons;
• Lace making, crocheting, knitting.

Trimming is done on the cuffs, hem, neck or yoke. Natural fabrics (cotton, linen) are very popular. And delicate colors (blue, beige, green, pistachio) convey femininity and purity. The style of a dress or sundress can be different, either loose or fitted with a slightly flared or “sun” skirt. Sleeves are long and short.

They complement the image in folklore flavor with jewelry, accessories (large earrings, beads, strap) and outerwear. This could be a vest, a coat or a warm fur coat, or a muff. A fur hat or brightly colored scarves on your head will complement the look. Fashion designers sometimes use a layering effect in modern outfits by changing the volume and shape of the sleeves.

Currently, Russian-style clothing sets for men, women, and children add national flavor to folk festivities and holidays. A new trend - a party in Russian folk style - brings guests back to Ancient Rus', to its traditions, round dances, and games.

Russian national clothing is the keeper of cultural roots. The artistic image has been preserved through many centuries. Nowadays there is a revival of interest in Russian traditions, holidays, and culture. New modern outfits are appearing that use elements of Russian costume.

Fashion is a capricious and capricious young lady, whose quirks invariably make the older generation roll their eyes dramatically, and young girls spend hours rethinking their wardrobe in accordance with new trends.

As soon as humanity developed enough to be able to use clothing for more than just warmth and protection, clothing immediately became an additional means of self-expression. We all know how to distinguish a portrait of a duchess from a portrait of a commoner - by how luxurious her dress is!

About fashion in Ancient Rus', content:

Clothes are not only a way of self-expression, but also another language in which you speak with the outside world, another system of signs that gives the people around you an idea of ​​who is in front of them.

Different systems of signs characteristic of different cultures can be abstract and symbolic to varying degrees - for example, if in European culture, seeing a lady with a black veil or bandage in her hair, we assume that she is in mourning, then in the East the color of death will be considered white. Such small differences make a culture individual, and only by knowing them can one truly enjoy the beauty of the national costume of any country or the peculiarities of the clothing of a certain culture.

Slavic countries, of course, also have their own national costumes. We have seen all of them since childhood on various patriotic posters, in illustrations for fairy tales, or even worn them ourselves at matinees. Unfortunately, these vaguely familiar pictures are not enough to get a detailed idea of ​​what our ancestors looked like, what ancient Russian beauties wore, what styles of dresses they were delighted with and what colors they would never wear.

Fortunately, today there is an excellent opportunity to both look at reproductions from textbooks and touch or even try on such an outfit in person or sew it yourself. For these and many other purposes, there are various museums and centers of interactive history - places where, through the efforts of enthusiasts, history is no longer presented to us as abstract stories from textbooks, but, so to speak, in full HD format.

Women's fashion of Ancient Rus'

Merciless time has preserved for inquisitive archaeologists not many reminders that would allow them to reliably describe the costumes of girls of that era, so all archaeological finds, such as images or fabric remains, are extremely valuable.

Judging by the set of information that modern historians have at their disposal, the most common materials used for sewing clothes was linen (more or less good quality) and wool. Fabric was made from this, which also differed in quality - cloth or thin linen or homespun and rough canvas.

For a very long time, Rus' did not have its own large-scale and full-scale production of high-grade fabric, such as silk, so it was customary to import it from abroad. Basically, of course, silk was imported into Kievan Rus from Byzantium.

It was customary to decorate clothes, both women's and men's. For these purposes, they used coloring and embroidery for decoration. There was also a technology for creating patterns from yarn of different colors - motley. It was made, as a rule, in blue-green tones.

As for clothing made of brocade and silk, the materials for such products were called pavoloka and were predominantly red and its shades - purple or scarlet, crimson or carmine, as well as blue, azure and turquoise, less often - green. Often such an outfit could be seen decorated with patterns and ornaments made of gold and silver threads - they were, of course, very expensive and not everyone could afford them.

Individual features of the women's costume of those times were headdresses - hats and scarves. Under the hat they wore a special scarf folded and secured under the chin - ubrus. Peasant women wore special caps called warriors.

Women, like men, often wore special caftans over their clothes - with wide sleeves, which made it possible to see the embroidered and beautifully decorated sleeves of the undershirt. This very shirt was a very important and obligatory element of clothing. Embroidered with patterns, it was necessarily long and covered the ankles. The collar of the undershirt could be decorated with a border, and the sleeves with an ornament.

Shoes generally weren't very varied. Those who could afford it wore soft boots without heels with decorations on the tops or toes, while the peasants made do with bast shoes.

Among the traditional elements of women's clothing, it is also worth highlighting the following: a skirt wrapped over a shirt, which was called “poneva”, and loose clothes made of canvas, also worn over the shirt, called “zapona”.

The motifs of the ornaments that decorated clothes and shoes, frills and sleeves were almost always classic - floral or geometric patterns, that is, an interweaving of lines and angles, flowers and leaves. Colors and materials were also selected depending on status and income, personal preferences or traditions of the area.

Men's clothing of Ancient Rus'

The clothing of male representatives in Ancient Rus' can be judged mainly from written sources - for example, such as “Izbornik Svyatoslav”.

The illustrations there are very colorful and give a general idea of ​​what men's costume was like at that time. From the image of the Prince of Kyiv, one can understand that a caftan was a mandatory element of men's attire of those times - the prince was wearing it green, with a red stripe. (Red color was considered more “noble”; it was worn by boyars or representatives of the princely family).

The prince's costume is also complemented by golden-colored sleeves. Sleeves are an element of clothing similar in their functional purpose to cuffs, except that they are much more voluminous.

In this exciting game “Collect the Russian Prince”, we must not forget about outerwear. In the case of this image of Svyatoslav, it is a dark blue cloak of the kind worn by the nobility in those days. It was called “korzno” and was trimmed with a golden border, and also had a red lining. The image is completed by a hat - an indispensable attribute of every noble person of those times. The prince has it decorated with fur. The boots he wears are green and made of morocco.

Headdresses deserve special mention in a conversation about the clothing of men of Ancient Rus'. Their role was played by hats, which were worn by representatives of all classes - and, of course, they were removed as a sign of respect or before entering the church.

Caps made of felt, trimmed with a thin strip of fur, were intended for common peasants. Wealthier merchants could afford to order a cap made of cloth, and the most noble and respected people wore headdresses made of brocade and decorated with gold and silver threads, various colored precious stones and fur stripes.

Cloaks, as in the picture with Svyatoslav attached and described above, called “korzno”, were thrown over one shoulder and secured with a special fastener - a fibula. This characteristic trend was borrowed by residents Kievan Rus among the Byzantines, and they, in turn, among the Romans.

When all political and significant part of public activity, due to certain historical reasons, moved to Novgorod, the cloaks were replaced by caftans and fur coats, which were more relevant in this area. The fur coats worn in Novgorod were distinguished by their sewn-in sleeves, which served a rather decorative function - rarely was this item of clothing worn in its entirety, more often it was simply thrown over the shoulders.

From raincoats and fur coats to underwear. His role in the wardrobe of a man in Ancient Rus' was played by portas and an undershirt. Among the representatives of the lower class, the material for sewing the undershirt was rough canvas, decorated with motley stripes and printed material, which peeked out from the sleeves of the outerwear.

Portas were ordinary canvas pants, worn under clothing and tied at the waist with a cord. They narrowed downwards.

Wealthy people wore shirts made of fine linen with taffeta trim, mostly in scarlet. The collars were unfastened and put on separately. They were often embroidered with stones and pearls, patterns embroidered with golden threads, with patterns and ornaments. The shirt was worn untucked, and on special occasions they were also accompanied by luxuriously decorated sleeves.

Since the strips of fabric were, as a rule, quite narrow - from thirty to sixty centimeters - they had to be sewn together. In such cases, the seams were not hidden, but decorated and deliberately emphasized.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the clothing of the Slavic warrior warriors: in addition to all of the above, their attire also included at least a chain mail shirt with slits on the sides, and, of course, a helmet protecting the head.

Old Russian costume today

Today, for fans of Slavic history, there is a wide range of opportunities to immerse themselves in the historical period they have loved since school. To do this, you don’t have to wait for a mad scientist who urgently needs a partner to travel through time to burst into your apartment.

All you need is a little strength, patience, perseverance and curiosity. All these qualities will help you study a couple of sources in order to accurately determine which cut of the dress will be appropriate for the age and the character you are playing.

Most of the materials to start sewing a suit can most likely be purchased at your local fabric store - most likely you will need linen. In metropolitan areas or in those cities where various reconstruction festivals are held during the warm season, you can often find a seamstress who knows exactly what you need and how to achieve it - you can either take several lessons or simply order a dress.

Just be prepared for the fact that before the start of the festival it will be too late to apply - most likely, the craftswoman will already have a real problem. Think about this in advance.

Be careful - no one is immune from situations when it suddenly turns out that in the world of historical science there are several diametrically opposed points of view regarding whether this or that item of clothing was in use in Ancient Rus', on what occasions it was worn, and in general - are these pants or a skirt?

People who are engaged in reproducing events of the distant past are called historical reenactors. These are not the ones who work in museums and restore the original appearance of some sculpture - these are the ones who, based on the information they have about a certain historical period, recreate clothing, life, and sometimes buildings of those times - and play at it. A real journey into the past, like in “The Butterfly Effect” - but without any risks. Except for one thing - the risk of getting too carried away.

In big cities - and even in some small ones - there are entire clubs and movements that unite reenactors and role-players.

As a rule, they are engaged in recreating one specific historical period, or at most two or three - creating high-quality material takes a lot of time and takes a lot of effort, and even in one historical period you can study so many things that a lifetime is not enough.

Many books and articles have been written on the topic of Russian folk costume, both in print and on the Internet, as well as by me more than once on this blog.

However, loving Russia, the land on which I was born and raised, and also remembering that everything new is well-forgotten old, I want to once again talk about the folk costume of the 16th-19th centuries.

Russian national costume

- a traditional set of clothing, shoes and accessories that has developed over centuries, which was used by the people of Rus' in everyday and festive use.

He also had two main types: northern and southern.

In central Russia they wore clothes similar in character to the northern, although southern Russian was also present...

Russian national costume became less common after Tsar Peter I in 1699 he banned the wearing of folk costume for everyone except peasants and church ministers.
However, I would clarify a little: Peter 1 introduced a decree on wearing European costume for city dwellers, but did not touch the folk costume.
But the fashion for folk clothes in Russia has always been preserved (especially in fashion among city dwellers and rich classes, folk clothing clearly manifested itself in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) and continues to this day.
From this moment on, we can assume that clothing essentially became of two types: urban costume and folk costume.

Folk costume of the 15th-18th centuries.

Ancient Russian clothing at first glance presents great complexity and variety, but, looking closely at its parts, it is easy to recognize in many names more similarities with each other than differences, which were mainly based on the features of the cut, which, unfortunately, are now little understood for our time.

In general, the clothes were the same in cut for both kings and peasants, they bore the same names and differed only in the degree of decoration.

The shoes of the common people were bast shoes made of tree bark - ancient shoes, used during pagan times (mainly before the 17th century).

In addition to bark bast shoes, they wore shoes woven from twigs and vines, while some wore leather soles and tied them with belts wrapped around their feet.

The footwear of wealthy people consisted of boots, chobots, shoes and chetygas.

All these types were made from calfskin, from yuft, and for the rich from Persian and Turkish morocco.

All types of shoes were colored, most often red and yellow, sometimes green, blue, azure, white, flesh-colored.

They were embroidered with gold, especially in the upper parts - the tops, with images of unicorns, leaves, flowers, etc.
And they humiliated themselves with pearls, especially women’s shoes were decorated so thickly that the morocco was not visible.

In wealthy Russian houses, shoes were generally made at home. For this purpose, knowledgeable slaves were kept in the yard.

Men's folk costume.

The common people had canvas shirts, the noble and rich had silk shirts.
Russian people loved red shirts and considered them elegant underwear.

The shirts were made wide and not very long, dropped over the underwear and girded with a low and weakly narrow belt - a girdle.

In shirts under the armpits, triangular inserts were made from another fabric, embroidered with yarn or silk, or from colored taffeta.

Along the hem and along the edges of the sleeves, the shirts were trimmed with braid, which was embroidered with gold and silk, two fingers wide.
Noble and rich people also had embroidery on the chest and along the base of the sleeves. Such embroidered shirts were called sewn shirts.

In shirts, special attention was paid to the collar, which extended from under the outer clothing and surrounded the back of the head high.

Such a collar was called a necklace.
This necklace, in fact, in the old days was called a shirt, but in the 17th century they began to call it a shirt, and a shirt or shirt to which it was fastened.

Pants (or ports) were sewn without cuts, with a knot, so that with it they could be made wider or narrower.

For the poor, they were made of canvas, white or dyed, from homespun - coarse woolen fabric, and for the wealthy, they were made of cloth; in the summer, the rich wore taffeta pants or made of silk.

The length of the pants reached only to the knee, they were sewn with pockets, called zepya, and they came in different colors, including red.

Three clothes were put on the shirt and trousers: one on top of the other.
The underwear was the one in which people sat at home; if it was necessary to go on a visit or receive guests, then the next one was put on, the other one, and the third one was for going out.

Clothes of those times had many names, but they all belonged to one of three types.

Underwear was called zipun, both among kings and peasants. It was a tight dress, short, sometimes down to the knees, like a camisole.

In the cutting book of the royal court, the length of the zipun was listed as 1 arshin and 6 vershoks, when the dress for the entire height was 2 arshins and 3 vershoks in length.

ZIPUN

For simple and poor people, zipuns were made of dyed leather, winter ones were made of homespun, for the wealthy - silk, taffeta, often white with buttons.
Sometimes the sleeves were sewn onto it from a different fabric.

For example, the zipun itself was made of white satin, and its sleeves were made of silver wool.

The collars of the zipun were narrow and low, but like a shirt, a separate collar embroidered with pearls and stones was fastened to it - low.

A second garment was put on the zipun, which had several names, but was different in cut.

KAFTAN

The most common and ubiquitous type of outerwear is the caftan.
It was sewn to the toes or to the calves to show off the gilded boots. There were two types of caftans based on length: caftan and caftans.

Their sleeves were very long and gathered into folds or ruffles. In winter, these sleeves served as a muff against the cold.

The slit on the caftan was only in the front and was trimmed with braid
Along the caftan, parallel to the slit, stripes were made from a different fabric and a different color on both sides, and ties with tassels and strings (laces) were sewn onto these stripes, sometimes hanging loops were sewn on, and on the other side - buttons for fastening.

Later they began to use onlyup to 12-13 buttons on the chest. The lower part of the caftan was always unbuttoned.
The collars of the caftan were low, from under them the bottom of the zipun or the necklace of the shirt protruded.
On the back of the caftan, fabric of a lower quality than the front was used.

Winter caftans were made with furs, but light ones; similar warm caftans were called caftans.

The men also showed off their belts. They were both long and varied in decoration.

CHUGA and FERYAZ - a type of outerwear

This category of average clothing includes chuga - clothing for traveling and riding.
The chuga was girded with a belt, behind which a knife or spoons were placed.
Chugs were fastened with buttons and were, if desired, embroidered in the same way as caftans.

Feryazy were called clothes worn in the same way as caftans, n and zipuns.
They had long sleeves, broad shoulders and narrower caftans at the hem.

In Fletcher's description of Russian clothing, the feryaz is represented by the third outer dress - the first zipun, the second or middle one - a narrow caftan with a knife and a spoon in the belt (by which the British meant chugu), the third feryaz - a spacious dress bordered by a paisley.

All that can be deduced from the confusing descriptions of other authors on the feryazi is that the feryaz was a more indoor type of caftan.
Its name is Persian and came to us in the 16th century. It was in use both among kings and among the people.

OPASHEN, SINGLE-ROW, EPANCHA, FUR FUR COAT, AWFUL

Okhaben - a cloak with sleeves and a hood. Ferezya - a cloak with sleeves worn while traveling.

The epancha was of two kinds: one traveling from camel wool or coarse cloth, the other elegant from rich material, lined with fur more for pomp than for warmth.

Fur coats were the most elegant clothing. A lot of furs in the house was a sign of prosperity and contentment.
Fur coats were covered with cloth and silk fabrics and sewn with fur inside.

But there were also fur coats and just fur coats, such coats were called head coats.

Clothes were preferred in bright colors and trim. Mourning colors were worn only on sad days.

Russian headdresses

Russian hats were of four types: taffyana, caps lined with fur in winter, low quadrangular hats with a fur bandand gorlat hats are the exclusive property of princes and boyars.

One could recognize one's origin and dignity by looking at the hat.

Tall hats signified nobility of origin and rank.

WOMEN'S FOLK CLOTHING.

The women's shirt was long, with long sleeves, white and red flowers.

The wrists, embroidered with gold and decorated with pearls, were fastened to the sleeves. A letnik was worn over the shirts: clothes that did not reach the toes, but with long and wide sleeves.

LETNIK

A necklace was fastened to the summer jackets, as well as to the men's zipuns. For women it fit more closely.

OPASHEN - women's outerwear

Women's outer clothing was dangerous.
This was a long garment with many buttons from top to bottom; the rich had gold and silver buttons, the poor had copper.

The opashen was made of cloth, usually red, the sleeves were long, and there was a slit for the arms just below the shoulder.
In this way, a woman could show not only the wide caps of her summer jacket, but also the wrists of her shirt, embroidered with gold and pearls.

A wide fur collar-necklace, round in appearance, was fastened around the neck, covering the chest, shoulders and back.

Along the cut and hem, the opashni were bordered with other types of fabric and were embroidered with gold and silk.

TELOGREYA

Women's fur coats were different from men's. They were cold and warm (with fur).

If the letnik in women's attire corresponds to the zipun in men's clothing, then the opashen and quilted jacket corresponded to the caftan, and the fur coat meant outer clothing.

DOUSHEGREYA

FUR COATS in folk clothes

Women's fur coats were sewn on sable, martens, foxes, ermine, squirrels, hares, depending on the condition of the owner, and covered with cloth and silk fabrics of different colors and colored ones.

The fur coats were also beautifully trimmed with metallic lace and braid.

The sleeves of women's fur coats were decorated with lace at the edges; they were removed and stored. passing from mothers to daughters as heirlooms.

A silk fur coat lined with cotton wool and trimmed with fur has been preserved in the collection of the Russian Museum.

It was tied on the chest with ribbons into three bows.

At the end of the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries, a fur coat was part of a girl’s wedding costume and was fashionable clothing in the Russian North.

Other types of women's clothing: headbands, hair covers, etc.

On your head married women they put on volosniks or podubrusniks - hats similar to skufia made of silk fabric, often made of gold, made with a knot, with the help of which the size was adjusted with a trim along the edge with trimmings of pearls and stones.

The modest woman was afraid that even family members, excluding her husband, would not see her hair.

A scarf, usually white, was placed over the hair, its hanging ends, tied under the chin, studded with pearls.

This scarf was called ubrus.

GIRLS' HEADS

When women went out, she put on a white hat with a brim.

They also wore hats.
The girls wore crowns on their heads.

The crowns had lower parts, called cassocks. Others had simpler crowns and consisted only of gold wire in several rows, which were decorated with corals and stones.

The maiden crown was always without a top.
In the future - hoops (soft and hard) made of multi-colored ribbons.
Open hair was considered a symbol of girlhood.

If unmarried girls could wear one braid or unbraided hair.
Then married women braided 2 braids without fail and always wore a headdress.

In winter, girls covered their heads with a high hat made of sable or beaver with a cloth top; from under the hat one could see braids braided with red ribbons.

The poorer ones wore long shirts; on the shirts they put letniks, sometimes white, similar to a shirt, sometimes dyed, and tied a scarf made of dyed or woolen material around their heads.

On top of the entire cape dress, the villagers wore clothes made of coarse cloth or silver - sernik.
With great prosperity, the villagers wore silk scarves, and on top of the flyer was a single row of red or blue dye, zendel or zufi.

Women's clothes of that time were sewn without a waist, simply. And it was quite consistent with the proverb: not well cut, but tightly sewn.

Both men's and women's clothes were stored in cages, in chests under a piece of water mouse skin, which was considered a preventative against moths and mustiness.

Beautiful and expensive clothes were worn only on holidays and special occasions.

In everyday life, the same nobles often wore dresses made of rough canvas or cloth.

SORAFAN

SHUGAI